Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/75

 Again arose the voice of the peevish Yüan Shu, “We high officials are too meek and yielding. Here is the petty follower of a small magistrate daring to flaunt his prowess before us! Expel him from the tent, I say.”

But again Tsʻao Tsʻao interposed, “Shall we consider the station of him who has done a great service?”

“If you hold a mere magistrate in such honour then I simply withdraw,” said Yüan Shu.

“Is a word enough to defeat a grand enterprise?” said Tsʻao Tsʻao.

He told Kungsun Tsan to lead his three companions back to their own camp and the other chiefs then dispersed. That night he secretly sent presents of flesh and wine to soothe the three after this adventure.

When Hua Hsiung’s men straggled back and told the story of defeat and death Li Su was greatly distressed. He wrote urgent letters to his master who called in his trusted advisers to a council. Li Ju summed up the situation. “We have lost our best leader and the rebel power has thereby become very great. Yüan Shao is at the head of this confederacy and Yüan Wei of the same family is holder of high office in the government. If those in the capital combine with those in the country we may suffer. Therefore we must remove them. So I request you, Sir Minister, to place yourself at the head of your army and break this confederation.”

Tung Cho agreed and at once ordered Li Tsʻui and Kuo Ssŭ to take half a company and surround the residence of Yüan Wei, the Tʻai-fu, slay every soul, and hang the head of the high officer outside the gate as a trophy. And Cho commanded twenty legions to advance in two armies. The first five legions were under Li Tsʻui and Kuo Ssŭ and they were to hold Ssŭshui Pass. They should not necessarily fight. The other fifteen legions under Tung Cho himself went to Tigertrap Pass.

This Pass is fifty li from Loyang and as soon as they arrived Tung Cho bade Lü Pu take three legions and make a strong stockade on the outside of the Pass. The main body with Cho would occupy the Pass.

News of this movement reaching the confederate lords the chief summoned a council. Said Tsʻao Tsʻao, “The occupation of the Pass would cut our armies in two, therefore must we oppose Tung Cho’s army on the way.”

So eight of the confederate lords went in the direction of the Pass to oppose their enemy. Tsʻao Tsʻao and his men were a reserve to render help where needed.

Of the eight, the Prefect of Honei was the first to arrive and Lü Pu went to give battle with three companies of mailed horsemen.